The Philadelphia Eagles return to the practice field this week, gearing up to defend their Super Bowl title.
Boasting one of the most stacked rosters in the NFL, reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts is primed to lead the Eagles into 2025, hoping to continue their recent dominance and become back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
With Hurts the unquestioned starter heading into the Eagles' title defense in 2025, the real competition is who solidifies themselves as his backup after Kenny Pickett was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he's expected to get the first crack as the Browns' starting signal-caller.
Hurts' projected backup is Tanner McKee, who was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has remained with the club ever since. This past April, the Super Bowl champions made reigning National Championship winning quarterback, Kyle McCord, their sixth-round pick, and it's widely expected for him to stick with the team as the club's third quarterback or a practice squad option.
With McKee and McCord likely remaining on the roster, the odd man out may be fan-favorite and the man who was traded in the deal for Pickett, in the form of dual-threat quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson's Recent Struggles May Lead to Him Not Making Eagles' 53-Man Roster
During the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected UCLA signal-caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson with the 140th pick of the fifth round. After an impressive preseason, Thompson-Robinson was named the backup quarterback to Deshaun Watson, beating out Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond.
Thompson-Robinson was thrust into the starting role during his rookie season after Watson suffered a shoulder injury just hours before the club's Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The rookie struggled mightily against the Browns' AFC North rivals, completing just 19 of 36 passes for 121 yards and three interceptions in Cleveland's 28-3 loss.
In his next start, Thompson-Robinson showed flashes of high-level play, leading the Browns to a 13-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, after another week of struggles the following week, Thompson-Robinson reverted back to the backup role after the Browns signed Joe Flacco, who started the rest of the season for the team.
Last season, Thompson-Robinson made his first regular-season appearance in Week 8, throwing two interceptions before exiting the contest after suffering a finger injury. The Browns bounced between Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston, who both struggled with turnovers and low completion percentages.
With McKee entering his third season in the Eagles' system and the club unlikely to cut ties with McCord just months after drafting him, Thompson-Robinson has a steep hill to climb to pass either on the depth chart or earn a roster spot as Hurts' backup.
However, if he were to cut down on the turnovers and prove to be more of an accurate passer, the upside is still there with Thompson-Robinson, who at his peak could be a lesser version of Hurts due to his dynamic running ability.